“The 50th birthday of any football club is an occasion to celebrate, but the festivities on Friday 15th January of the former East Germany’s most successful club side will stir up mixed emotions for fans from a bygone era. Formed in 1966, Berliner FC Dynamo became the GDR’s premier club side racking up ten successive league titles between 1979 and 1988. Their coach during that period, Jürgen Bogs, can point to a record which under most normal circumstances would place him as one of the most successful coaches in European football with a CV that would stand up against more recognisable names.” Bundesliga Fanatic

“It can surely be seen as a consequence of the FIFA-Gate scandal, of which South America was the epicentre. The arrest or indictment of so many football fat cats has obviously weakened the power structure – which in turn has emboldened the clubs. In Ecuador, for example, the clubs look set to take over the running of the local championship from the federation – a project that long-term FA president Luis Chiriboga said he would bury. Instead, with Chiriboga one of the names on the list of those indicted, there has been a change of power at the top and the clubs have come out fighting. The meeting of the 15 clubs, with talk of setting up an association, is a similar thing happening on a continental scale.” The World Game – Tim Vickery

“Jürgen Klopp had warned us what we should expect. As he charged down the touchline on Wednesday evening punching the air and shouting amid the snowflakes after Joe Allen’s late equaliser against Arsenal, he was perhaps not merely saluting a hard-earned point but relishing a game that fulfilled his ideal of what football – and specifically English football – should be.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

“Why do football fans wish to ground-hop and tick experiences and stadiums off their bucket list? Some people just wish to experience as much as possible whilst they are physically and financially able, or whilst the credit card still has some life in it. Others may be looking elsewhere upon becoming disillusioned with the state of football in their country. For me, it was a little of both. What I found in South America, and Argentina in particular, was that whilst there are fascinating aspects to their game, it is not the utopia it appears to be and is not without its problems. A little like in England. What makes the game great in one country may also be the source of its problems, and vice-versa.” Football Pink

“Manchester City’s squad is expected to undergo an overhaul this coming offseason if Pep Guardiola succeeds Manual Pellegrini as manager. There has already been talk around who the Spaniard would bring to the Premier League with him and that will of course lead to exits from the Etihad Stadium.” backpagefootball

“Sevilla took on an impressive Athletic side in a potential six pointer in La Liga. With just 2 points between them and fourth place up for grabs, a tense encounter awaited. Athletic came into the game on an impressive run of form having just lost 2 in the last 10 games, one of which was against current leaders Atletico. Having defeated Villarreal (currently 5 points clear in 4th place) in the Copa del Rey, facing a team like Sevilla who are considered in the same bracket as them came at the right time.” Outside of the Boot

“Wayne Rooney has set so many landmarks that he could almost have an entire episode of Record Breakers dedicated to him. The Manchester United striker passed another one by scoring Sunday’s winner at Liverpool, overtaking Arsenal’s Thierry Henry as the scorer of the most goals for a single club in Premier League history. Rooney, 30, rifled in his 176th league goal for the Red Devils since arriving from Everton in 2004. Here, we take a look at some other weird and wonderful goalscoring records.” BBC